North Hollywood, CA – Los Angeles Police arrested a gunman suspected of shooting at least two people at a synagogue in North Hollywood. Police would not confirm a report that the incident is being labeled a hate crime.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The shooting occurred at 6:19 a.m. Thursday at the Adat Yeshurun Orthodox synagogue in the 12000 block of Sylvan Street.
According to a police statement, a man with a handgun entered the synagogue and shot two people in the leg in what is being labeled as a hate crime.
The victims, both Jewish, were transported to a local hospital in stable condition, officials said.
The synagogue is located next to an elementary school. It was not immediately known whether the suspect search affected the school.
Michael Bloom, 30, an Orthodox organizer with Hatzolah, a Jewish volunteer medical response team, grew up in the diverse neighborhood. He said there had been instances of Jews being insulted as they walked to the synagogue on the Sabbath.
“This has been going on for years. Everything from “death to Israel” to “dirty Jew,'” he said. “There are gangs in the area. It’s not the safest neighborhood.”
However, Sholomo Yaghobi, 18, said the neighborhood was “calm, relatively.”
His brother attends the temple’s school and was worried.
“I’m upset if something would have happened to my brother, who would answer to that?” he said.
**UPDATE** 11:15 AM
VIN News has confirmed that the 2 man shot inside the shul, have non life threatening injures and will survive.
**UPDATE** 11:25 AM
KNX 1070 Radio is reporting that a member of the synagogue said the victims were shot in the parking lot, not inside the Shul. The victims were about to attend a 6:30 a.m. service, according to the witness.
“I came up the stairs from the parking lot, and I saw blood on the floor,” a witness told KNX. “I saw two people were wounded. They were saying they were shot in the parking lot. They were both on the floor. Everyone was tending to them. “I come here every morning. I’d never expect anything like this.”
**UPDATE** 11:27 AM
Man under the suspicion of being a suspect who was arrested earlier shown in photo below is still being held, but Police say they are not sure he is the suspect, Police say that the shooter might still be at large with very little information to go on.
**UPDATE** 11:35 AM
Police have increased police patrol around Los Angeles Jewish Centers, Police say that the Shul had Video surveillance and is being looked at at this time.
This is an important reminder that people should get gun training and go through the process of getting gun carrying licenses.
was he Arab?
This happened down my street this morning.. The police are doing an amazing dragnet for the Gunman (helicopters dozens of units etc.) Media is well informed. Hate crimes can not be tolerated . Howie Hubberman
Even if someone had a loaded gun they would still be vulnerable to a sniper in a parking lot. Or even to a basic street thug, because we are civilized and not programmed for violence and murder at the drop of a hat. You need a loaded gun and sharp instincts and guts and be pretty cool under pressure to actually use it to defend yourself sucessfully. I am a strong supporter of the 2nd ammedment and I believe ppl should be able to defend themselves but it isnt always possible, even with a gun.
This is an orthodox Shul, which has 3-4 Minyanim every morning. The rabbi (Rabbi Gabay) is a great person who devotes his whole live to this Shul and who turned this place in the past 20+ years into a place of Torah for this area. The school next door is also his school.
Refuah shlaima to all.
Please post names for saying Tehillim.
The day is over when you can just keep shul doors wide open. If this shul had had a CCTV system with buzz in, this incident probably would not have occurred.
Is it possible there’s more to this than meets the eye? Why is anybody going to throw their life away in order to shoot people in the legs? Image #7 shows a black man in custody. Is he a dummy who couldn’t aim? Maybe, but in broad daylight at close range he would have no trouble aiming and firing to kill, if he’s really driven by homicidal hatred of Jews. When I was in IDF our orders were to shoot infiltrators in the legs unless we could see clearly that they’re armed. In this connection it occurred to me while reading that, via the Israeli equivalent of the Freedom of Information Act, Israeli historians have brought to light some of the details of Israel’s covert operations in Arab countries in the early 50’s, which included acts of violence intended to scare the local Jews into emigrating. Israel needs America’s Jewish community, so aliyah en mass can’t be on anyone’s agenda. But it also depends on America’s Jews to FEEL a certain way. Scared. A lone black muslim with bad aim? Perhaps. But any good detective knows that anyone smart who’s in the market for dirty deeds done dirt cheap will hire a black slum dweller to do them. I’m just sayin’.